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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23341576">What is your Glory?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/marksmelon/pseuds/marksmelon'>marksmelon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Heavy Angst, Like this is just a bad times fellas, M/M, Multi, streetfighting, thank u for ur time, there are some cute moments when the dreamies are comforting eachother tho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:15:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23341576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/marksmelon/pseuds/marksmelon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a beatdown from three strangers, Donghyuck is dragged by his friends to their hideout where they proceed to care for him and nurse him back to health. Everything is going fine until an unexpected visitor from their past pays a visit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>00 line are pretty much dating, chensung are also pretty much dating but they just haven't labeled it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>dream jukebox fest: round one</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What is your Glory?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work is based off the song Glory and Gore from Lorde! </p><p>I hope you're able to see the inspo the song gave me reflected in my work, and most importantly: I hope you enjoy reading my fic &lt;33</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Donghyuck’s body hit the floor with intense force. Three larger men surrounded </span>
  <span>him without a glint of mercy in their eyes. The three men were from a rival school, and happened to spot the teen as he was exiting a convenience store with bags full of snacks—most likely for a hangout session he’d planned with his crew. They recognized him as the “Full Sun” they were seeing all over the newspapers these days. No one knew his real name, except for family and a few close friends. He had everyone else refer to him as “Haechan” or you would know him as the “Full Sun” if you only saw him in  the newspaper articles. No one knew exactly why he kept his birth name so private, but some theorized it was his attempt to separate himself from his youth and who he once was. He was well known for picking fights with anyone he could, along with tagging areas with his signature “Full Sun” logo. The logo was half a sun with “Full Sun” written over it in fancy letters. Some would think it was stupid for his name to be “Full Sun” and then his tag only displayed half a sun, but he enjoyed the humor of it and that’s why he kept it that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He was easily recognizable through his golden tan skin and was said to glow like the sun itself when he approached. He was popular amongst troublemakers of all types, so it wasn’t surprising to him when these three boys approached him out of nowhere with a spark of trouble in their eyes. They were taller than him, that was certain, the tallest probably nearing around six feet. The other two were closer to his height but still had the advantage of being a few inches taller. Not that it scared him; he had all kinds of techniques stored away in his brain on how to handle a fight against guys like them. Now, Donghyuck loved a good fight but that didn’t stop him from putting his hands up in defeat, surrendering himself to the shortest guy who started to approach him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey hey, I don’t know what’s got you lot all stirred up, but do you really need to take it out on me?” He chirped, voice coated in cockiness as he grinned innocently at the approaching ruffian. The nearing threat said nothing, only giving Haechan a nasty scowl, winding up his arm and preparing to throw the first hit. That was exactly what Hyuck wanted, his smug grin only grew at the sight of his opponent rolling in that first punch, but before they could do anything, Hyuck closed the gap between them and wrapped his hand around his head, making sure his fingers were intertwined together to secure his grip. Using all the strength in him to push his attacker’s head down, he pulled his back leg up into a ferocious kick to the other’s abdomen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His victim released a hoarse cough, spit oozing out of his mouth as he stumbled backwards. His upper body curled forward as he recovered from the intense blow. Hyuck didn’t want to give the boy any recovery time and went straight in for the kill, rushing the other in hopes of tackling him down to the floor in his state of vulnerability—but this is where he made his fatal mistake. In doubting the other’s stability, his opponent was able to pull him down by swiping his arms around Hyuck’s legs and pulling them out from under his body. The now not-so-glowing boy fell instantly, doing his best to maneuver away before his opponent could do anything, but it was futile. The other two boys had joined in at this point, each boy grabbing one of Hyuck’s arms to leave him defenseless.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” was the last thought Hyuck had before the opponent he originally knocked down was back to his feet and viciously rolling a punch into Hyuck’s gut as an act of vengeance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bile instantly sprung out of the boy’s mouth, a hoarse cough quickly following. His stomach burned, every clench of the muscle sending waves of pain throughout his body, and oh, how he wished this was the end. That the tall, ruthless boys would be satisfied just giving Hyuck one good jab to the abdomen, but that was nothing more than a mere fantasy he was dreaming. Shortly after the first punch, another came and another and another. A series of mighty blows stuck Hyuck’s stomach as he coughed and puked whatever contents his stomach could muster. He was powerless and completely vulnerable to the boys holding him down, all he could do was pray he’d survive the beating. When it was clear Hyuck was no longer in any shape or form to continue standing, the two men holding him released him with a  violent throw to the ground. Leading him to where he was now, defenseless and weak to the three towering males. He was too far gone to even form words, only able to taste the blood that stained his teeth and gums. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ah, the sweet taste of iron. It’s been a while since I’ve savored this flavor, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself, laughing a bit at his current state. He couldn’t believe he was actually losing the fight. It was so rare for him to even lose a street fight. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lee Donghyuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>after all. Normally it was his opponents who were on the floor, barely conscious and sometimes hardly breathing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Karma really was a bitch.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy had really hoped this would be the end and that his pain and suffering would be brought to an end, but the long overdue karma was finally collecting its ransom. Before he could even twitch a single muscle, the same fellow who he had beaten previously was now sitting on his back. He held him down with his weight as the other two lingered ready to restrain Hyuck if he tried doing anything. Not that he couldn't, even if he so desperately wanted to as his physical condition was too poor for him to even attempt fighting back. He could only close his eyes and brace himself for whatever his captor was planning. At first, he had forgotten that anything was going to happen, and maybe that is what the sadistic boy holding him down had wanted because in the same second, Hyuck’s right arm was being pulled up from the ground as his captor pressed their foot down into indent of where Hyuck’s shoulder blades met on his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not so cocky now, are ya?” The boy sneered as his grip on Hyuck’s wrist tightened, preparing for his final attack against the other. “I’d like to see you in the headlines after this,” he continued, finally stomping his foot down into the fragile star’s body. The force pushed him down as the man yanked his arm back, effectively pulling his shoulder bone out of its socket. A distressed howl from the tanned boy’s lips came out as a stinging pain pulsated in his right shoulder area. His arm fell limp back to the ground with the pained boy laid still. His cheek squished against the concrete pulsated as a small tear fell down his cheek. The cruel fellow who convicted him of this pain continued to sit on him and laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck really thought this was going to be the end of him. His final moments were him laughing at his pitiful state as he waited for his attackers to finish what they started, but perhaps a higher power decided to spare him on this fine day. Not that Donghyuck believed any higher power existed, and if there was, he doubted they’d want to save his sorry ass; but regardless of his thoughts and feelings he was saved by the bellowing growl of one of his friends.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what do you scumbags think you’re doing!? Can’t you see he’s down? You’re fucked up to keep attacking him!” A boy whose tone was coated with insolence called from the darkness of the alleyway. Donghyuck’s eyes widened at the sight of the three shadowy figures as they stood at the entrance, intimidating and ready to fight. Although Hyuck had admittedly lost touch with his senses, he was still able to register that this voice belonged to his right hand man Jaemin. A sigh of ease escaped his lips as he knew that Jaemin was going to be getting him out of this shitshow alive. All he had to do was wait for his heroes to rescue him, and with that thought in mind, he closed his eyes and let his mind enter a state of unconsciousness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three lowlifes holding Hyuck hostage turned their attention to the approaching boys, the main ringleader grunting in disgust at their arrival.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Great, didn’t expect the lone wolf to have back up,'' he grumbled. With a swift nod of his head at them, the two thugs wasted no time in approaching the group of rebels, scowls written across both of their faces as they prepared for their disadvantaged fight against the teens. They thought they’d be okay since they had a big hunk on their side, but they underestimated Hyuck’s batch of friends since they had a whole Lee Jeno on their side. If there was any time that Jeno was intimidating or off-putting in anyway, it was when his friends were in danger and he needed to protect them. He massaged his hands, preparing them for combat and not breaking eye contact with the wavering giant before him as he inched closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t uncommon for Jeno to take on the big boy’s in group fights like this, usually because he was the largest in their group himself, but it was also because he never gave anyone else the opportunity to take on the larger opponents. His animalistic instinct was to take on the burly prey  before anyone else could, and some would assume it was a pride thing, but those who personally knew Jeno would recognize that it is his overprotective nature making him take action. It was as if Jeno was seeing red, unable to focus on anything else but the opponent before him. He was a bull fixated on his target and he was prepared to win. Perhaps it was to boost his confidence in his temporary moment of fear, but his foe released a war cry before rushing towards Jeno. Probably with the intentions of tackling Jeno down but Jeno was prepared for this. Unlike his reckless and impulsive rival, Jeno had a strategy already planned out on how to win the fight. Practice makes perfect after all. He’d learned that most people don’t use their heads when it comes to street fighting. </span>
  <span>They relied on their fists to get the job done, and although, it is your fist that does most of the work: you could never rely solely on them</span>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jeno understood this better than anyone, so when his foe started barreling towards him, Jeno braced himself for impact. He sharply watched the other’s movements, dodging to the left at just the right moment when the brute tried to throw in his first punch. In his state of vulnerability, Jeno kicked his right foot forwards into the back of his opponent’s knee. Quickly following it with a punch to the face as the delinquent fell forwards from his knee giving out. It only took one hit to make the big brute surrender, the weakling immediately bringing his hands up to cover the back of his head as he curled up on the floor. Jeno took this as an admission of defeat, but lingered around the fallen soldier anyway to ensure he wouldn’t get up and try anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Jeno was handling the largest apple in the bunch, Jaemin and Renjun were handling the final two pests obstructing their path to Donghyuck. Jaemin, being the tricky speed demon he is, easily slipped past the first roadblock in their way, not wavering for a second as he came in fast on the scoundrel holding his dazzling sun hostage. The roadblock was left in Renjun’s hands and he was more than ready to take the nuisance on. He decided he would try to sweep the other down, hoping he wouldn’t fuck it up and cause the attack to backfire. To his fortune, the attack was a success. He kept the other’s attention on him through a string of insults and other provoking tactics, eventually causing the ruffian to charge at him and this is when Renjun’s door of opportunity opened. He caught the male off guard by stepping to the side in the last second, using his dominant hand to push against the other’s pelvis which resulted in the towering boy to collapse onto the ground. Renjun couldn’t be more thankful at how easy it was to bring the guy to the ground. He was honestly worried the dude was sturdier than he looked, but it must’ve been his lucky day because this man fell to the ground as easily as a paper bag being swept away by the wind.  Renjun was going to give the loser one violent kick to the gut to finish him, but the weakling was already scrambling away with his sorry lot before he could finish the job. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this point, the aggressive teen could only turn his attention back to his friends as they were beginning to circle around their beloved babe.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Damn, those guys went down way too easily. I didn’t even get to throw a single punch in before that asshole was scurrying away like a pathetic rat.” Jaemin cursed grumpily under his breath, pouting in disappointment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m envious of you two.” He added on, placing his hands on his hips as his two close friends finally caught up to him. The three boys gathered around Donghyuck, petrified by the condition he was in. The once brilliant and shining boy  was now pale as the emotionless alley light with blackened purple bruises scattered like stars across his body. His eyes that were previously gleaming with the pride and determination had turned dark and cold, almost as if the glow was barely there anymore. This isn’t the boy they grew up with, the boy they watched go from being a star as bright and radiant as the sun itself to this dull and pathetic state.A tragic story of how the star became a black hole with just one hit, lifeless. He was now nothing more than a neutron star after its supernova.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit… this is worse than usual.” Jeno muttered, the first to break the tense silence between the three teens as they silently stood around the weared out star.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No kidding, let's hope he doesn’t need to go to the hospital. That’s more trouble than it’s worth.” Renjun added, earning a reassuring hand to his shoulder from Jaemin. His response was to brush his hand over the other’s, gently pressing his fingers into the back of his hand as stress filled thoughts clogged his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let's not panic, he doesn’t seem to be in critical condition yet so let's just bring him back to the hideout and see what we can do from there. Worst case scenario we call Ma-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say his name.” Renjun cut him off, his grip tightening on Jaemin’s hand. A year ago, they all agreed to never mention his name - a pact between the four of them.  It wasn’t so much Renjun, Jaemin, and Jeno who cared about the name, but they chose to never speak it for their Donghyuckie - it was a bit of a sore spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know he’s out cold right now, but I’m worried that  hearing the name will be enough to trigger his subconscious and cause a negative reaction.” The brunette continued, earning a nod from Jaemin. The name belonged to a boy named Mark. A long lost member of their friend group, and who sort of served as their older brother of sorts growing up. They relied on him for everything, and looked up to him greatly, but no one was closer to him than Donghyuck. Donghyuck and Mark’s bond was indescribable, the two spending more time together than the group as a whole. This wasn’t intentional, the two boys loved the group as much as they loved each other, but the two were next door neighbors so it was easier for them to hang out than with the others. This led to them sharing many more memories together as they were practically together 24/7 and it just became common knowledge to the group that these two had a bond no one could ever come between. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or at least that is what they believed. </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, and honestly. If hearing the name somehow triggered his brain into waking up that’d probably make the situation worse. We’d have to listen to him bitch and be grumpy as we drag him back to the hideout.” Jaemin sighed, turning his attention back to the wilted sunflower. As positive as he was trying to be, he was worried that first aid wouldn’t be enough to bring the spark back into his sun, but bringing him to the ER wasn’t exactly on the table either because that meant dealing with questions and street fighting wasn’t exactly the most legal activity out there. Plus all their parents would be informed of their activities, and they’d much rather risk their life and wellbeing than deal with prying eyes and overbearing questions. However, the careful boy acknowledged and accepted that going to the ER might be a necessity depending on how Hyuck’s conditions progress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fluffy haired boy was snapped out of his thoughts when Jeno was attempting to throw the injured sunflower over his shoulder with Renjun’s aid. “Are you just going to keep standing there spacing out like an idiot or help us out?” The toned blonde hissed under the weight of his injured friend. Jaemin scoffed in response, hurrying over to the boys to help provide the final push Hyuck’s limp body needed to slouch over Jeno’s back, allowing him to piggyback Donghyuck. It was here that Jaemin noticed the red bump that was quickly swelling on Hyuck’s shoulder causing his heart to sink into his stomach almost immediately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be careful, it looks like his shoulder was pulled out of its socket so we need to be mindful of how we handle him. I think we’re lucky he’s out right now because I can’t imagine the pain he is in right now.” Jaemin explained, getting a reassuring nod in response from Jeno as he adjusted his hold on the other to keep him from damaging Hyuck’s shoulder any further. It was clear that Jeno and Jaemin had Donghyuck in their hands, so Renjun focused on providing support from the sides, keeping an eye on his two friends in search of any signs they might be in need of assistance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the minute or so of bickering between the three boys, they’d finally worked out a way to carry Donghyuck safely to their safe zone, a treehouse. The same one the boys built together at the ripe age of 6. It was built with the help of Hyuck and Mark’s dads of course, but the young boys were in charge of bringing the wood and decorating the place once it was completed. That was more than enough to make it feel like a second home to them. Their walk back to the hideout was full of small talk between the three friends with an occasional stare from a passerby or two, but the boys were used to the questionable stares by now and simply carried on their way. In time, they could spot in the distance the top of a tree poking out from behind a house. It was Donghyuck’s house and a sigh of relief escaped all three of the youth’s lips as they realized their long journey would be over soon and they could proceed to the next step of care which was the recovery of Hyuck and themselves The only problem now was how the hell they were going to get the boy’s body into the treehouse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t know it was going to be that difficult to get Haechan’s limp body up into the treehouse, but this is an issue the boy’s addressed and handled when they first started getting into trouble and it was becoming more and more common for them to drag their injured friends here to be cared for. You see, they had a system. Chenle and Jisung were usually already at the treehouse by the time the others arrived, and if any of the four  boys were injured, the two youths would lower a hoist of sorts to help lift the injured one up. The hoist in question was nothing more than a bed sheet tied with rope on both ends for the 2 young boys to hold onto collectively as one of the older boys(who are normally too injured to climb the ladder) would lay on it and wait to be pulled up. Chenle and Jisung would pull the rope from the top of the treehouse as the other teens provided support from the bottom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> It was a rocky system, considering the baby boys were not nearly as strong as their older counterparts and a bedsheet wasn’t the most durable thing to rely on to hold a human’s weight, but they somehow got this system to work with no issues every time. It was a miracle if you will. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time was no different, the three older teens put their injured friend’s body into the hammock like structure as carefully as possible, Jeno and Jaemin holding onto it to ensure Hyuck wouldn’t slip out as Renjun signaled to the youths above that they were ready for Hyuck to be hoisted up. Chenle and Jisung wasted no time in beginning their efforts to pull their older brother up into the treehouse, letting out small, exasperated huffs as they strained their arms to pull the rope attached to the bedsheet containing Hyuck up. In seconds, the weakened boy was lifted off the ground but with a slip of the hand on Chenle's part said boy was back on the ground and was wakened from the increased pain spreading throughout his body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Owwww…what is going on?" He whined, shifting uncomfortably in the hammock as he recovered from the collision. He was a little delirious, and wasn’t entirely sure where he was. However, judging by the giggling he could faintly hear in the distance paired with the scoldings of who he could only recognize as Renjun’s he was able to piece together that his friends had successfully brought him home. A comforting kiss was pressed onto his forehead from Jaemin as Jeno helped situate him back onto the hoist again, and the boys tried once again to raise their sun up into the sky. They were successful this round, and once the frail boy’s body reached the entrance of the treehouse, Jeno helped push his body from below as the two younger boys pulled him into their safe haven. Shortly after, Jaemin and Jeno followed, the frantic, less toned boy rushing over to their storage chest that kept all the group’s medical supplies in. Yes, they had a chest purely dedicated to storing their medical gear because injuries like these happened that often. With the first aid kit in hand, Jaemin returned to his dimming sun’s side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hyuckie, you’re still with us right?” He asked, snapping the kit open to access its contents as he was checking in with the exhausted boy who seemed to be slipping out of consciousness once again. At the same time, Renjun was getting washrags and water to bring up so they could clean Hyuck’s wounds. He returned with the materials just as Jaemin was nearly finished detangling bandages, noticing the shakiness in his fingers as he struggled to undo the last tangle in the bandages. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’ll be okay. Hyuck’s our sun for a reason, right?” Renjun hummed, brushing his hand over Jaemin’s to soothe him. “Our cotton-candy boy can’t be losing his sweetness now. Not when it’s the most important.” He continued, referring to the color of the other’s hair as it was a pastel pink.  “We need to stay positive. Not only for our sake, but Hyuck’s too. You know he wouldn’t want to see you worrying over him. It’d probably piss him off honestly.” He continued, chuckling at the final words in his sentences. They were talking as if Hyuck couldn’t hear every little thing they were saying, but truth be told, the dimming light was far too gone to process words he knew were unimportant.  The light humor seemed to help calm Jaemin’s nerves too, his once anxious frown turning into one of amusement and relief. The shakiness of his fingers slowly dimmed away from the warmth and comfort of his beloved friend’s hand, and when they finally seemed to be back in his control, the careful boy gave the other an assured nod before breaking his hand away to resume tending to the fractured sun’s wounds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were lucky because it didn’t appear that Hyuck had any super serious injuries, just this dislocated shoulder that was definitely making Jaemin panic a little, but he was doing his best not to show it. He didn’t want to make the other’s frantic after all.  However, the injuries he currently held weren’t anything Jaemin couldn’t handle with his basic medical knowledge he acquired from not only reading textbooks in their local library, but also minor things he picked up from Mark as well before he went M.I.A. Renjun took it upon himself to clean up some of the dried blood off of Hyuck as to make him more presentable, and Jaemin got to examining Hyuck’s body for any other serious injuries he possibly missed during the initial check. It’s difficult to examine your damaged friend when you’re in a rush to get out of the public eye to avoid questions. To their fortune, it seemed that the dislocated shoulder was the only major wound they had to worry about, and Jaemin thanked the gods for that. He really didn’t know what he would’ve done if his precious sunflower had traumas he couldn’t fix. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nonetheless, a dislocated shoulder was certainly hard to deal with, and it probably would’ve been best if they had a medical professional deal with it, but these were the Dreamies. They never believed in relying on others, and strongly upheld their ideal of being self sufficient enough to handle all issues on their own. It was a very immature and foolish mindset to have, but they were teenagers, it’s expectant for them to be a little reckless and idiotic. It is part of growing up after all.  Determined, Jaemin positioned Hyuck so he laid flat on his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Hyuckie, I’m going to push your shoulder back into place. Are you okay with that?” He asked softly, watching the exhausted boy’s eyes flutter open as his pupils turned to look at Jaemin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it hurts like a bitch so that’d be nice.” Hyuck finally spoke, proving that he was not a corpse yet and was coherent enough to understand what the others were saying. The realization flustered Renjun as he realized Hyuck most likely heard what he said to Jaemin prior, but no one had the time to pay any attention to it as Jaemin was already giving Hyuck a rag to bite down on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here, I know how hard it is for you to handle pain so bite down on this so you don’t bite your tongue okay baby?” He instructed, Hyuck not hesitating for a second to bite down on the rag provided to him. He felt calm, he absolutely loved it with Jaemin or any of the other’s called him “baby.” It made him feel safe, especially in a time like this. His entire body ached, but the love and comfort of his friends were pushing him forward. This is something no doctor or nurse could ever give him, this is treatment only his most treasured friends could provide. There was a moment of hesitation in Jaemin’s movements, almost as if he was hesitant on going through with the procedure to fix Hyuck’s shoulder, but after a stern stare from the tired teen Jaemin shook those thoughts away and resumed with his mission to fix Donghyuck up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He decided to follow the FARES method because not only did it seem the most reliable, but it was also the only method Jaemin had a decent understanding of. The pastel haired boy softly embraced his hands around Hyuck’s wrist, rubbing his thumb along the flesh soothingly as he looked up at him for reassurance that it was okay for him to proceed. When the boy gave him a slow blink and a nod he took it as a sign to begin and steadily started to raise Hyuck’s arm up and down, never going further than 5cms in both directions. Donghyuck’s body tensed in response, the boy’s eyes squeezing together as his teeth clenched tightly onto the rag given to him as the sharp pain in his shoulder shot throughout his arm like a bullet. Renjun was quick to get on the other side of Hyuck, and take his hand into his own as a way to soothe his suffering friend.  Hyuck didn’t hesitate to use his remaining strength to squeeze Renjun’s hand as if it was a stress relief toy and the boy simply took it because he wasn’t about to complain when the other was going through far much worse pain than he was. After a minute or so had passed, Jaemin slowly started to move Hyuck’s arm outwards and when it was finally at a 90 degree angle he started to rotate it to begin abducting the shoulder. It was here that Hyuck was in the worst stage of pain, grunting through gritted teeth as he did everything he could to not think about the piercing pain in his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a little more Hyuckie, we are almost there.” Jaemin cooed, accepting the angry growl Hyuck gave him as a response. Then, as if Jaemin had spoken it into existence, Hyuck’s shoulder popped back into place once his arm reached 120 degrees. A heavy sigh of relief escaped him as he relaxed, allowing the rag he was clenching so tightly onto to fall onto the floor as his grip on Renjun’s hand loosened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?” Renjun immediately asked, bringing his other hand up to clasp onto his limp flower’s hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s definitely still sore but I’ll take that over the discomfort and pain of it being out of place.” Hyuck answered with a weak and soft voice. It was easy for the other boys to tell that their precious sunflower was done for the day and needed to rest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go ahead and sling your arm up then, and then you can get some rest. How does that sound Hyuckie?”  Jaemin chirped, pulling the components for the sling out from the chest of supplies he had brought over. Hyuck was far too exhausted at this point to give a proper answer so he just nodded his head and hummed softly as he waited for the other to finish patching him up. Renjun stayed by Hyuck’s side, leaned in close to his ear now as he mumbled sweet nothings to the other to ease his nerves and relax him with the hopes that he’d go to sleep. His plan seemed to work as Hyuck was light’s out in the next minute or so. When Renjun was sure his beloved was asleep, he carefully pulled his hand away from Hyuck’s whose grip had loosened due to his body relaxing. He didn’t bother looking up from his set gaze on the sunflower’s face as he spoke to Jaemin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I contacted Mark.” He stated bluntly, causing Jaemin’s eyes to widen in shock. The other boys in the room who were softly talking amongst themselves went silent upon hearing the missing boy’s name, almost as if Renjun was speaking taboo. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You did what?” Jaemin huffed, laughing because he couldn’t, no, he didn’t want to believe the words that left the other’s mouth. “You’re joking right? Trying to lighten up the mood a little? Haha, that’s pretty funnyJunnie you got us. You fooled me, that’s for sure. Weren’t you the one earlier telling me not to say his name so why would you go out of your way to call him?” He continued, looking at Jeno for validation that this was indeed, some sick joke Renjun was playing on them, but the blonde’s face was stern. It made the pastel boy’s heart sink, his grip on the pins to keep the arm sling together tightening as he took in the sour news. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s never been this bad Nana, and no offense to you, but we can’t entirely trust your bare minimum medical knowledge to fix him up. Mark is more professional than all of us here, so if something seriously is wrong with Hyuck he’ll be able to find it and handle it. It needed to be done. I took your advice, and acted upon it.” Renjun insisted, voice unwavering even though he was just as scared as Jaemin was about the far absent  elder’s return. Tense silence followed, neither of the boys looking at each other as they soaked in the looming threat that would reach them soon. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s right Nana. Plus, maybe it’s about time we saw him again. It’s been five years already and neither of us have moved on. Especially Hyuck, there was never any closure and I think now is the time to do it. Well, I don’t think there ever will be a perfect time to do it, but we have Hyuck here and he is in no condition to run away so we should get this over with.” Jeno intruded, approaching Jaemin so he could massage the back of his neck. “It’ll be okay, we are here so we can keep the situation from blowing out of hand.” He hummed, not hesitating to pull the other into a back hug as he kissed his cheek. Jaemin sighed softly into the touch, finally releasing the stress he was keeping inside. He brought his hand up to caress the side of Jeno’s face, his fingers slowly trailing along the other’s sharp jawline as his mind pondered the endless possibilities that would result from the upcoming events. Renjun watched the pair in silence, not leaving Hyuck’s side for a second as he nervously brushed his thumbs along each other in anticipation of Mark’s arrival. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chenle and Jisung were clueless of the history of the older boys and this Mark boy, but they knew there was bad blood. They just never bothered to question them for answers because they could tell it was a very sensitive subject for them. However, they hoped that with the mystery boy’s arrival they’d get to learn more about their friends' history and get the closure they need. You see, Chenle and Jisung weren’t part of the crew as long as the other boys were. They joined barely a year or two ago. They were saved by the savage teens when they were being bullied outside a cafe once after school when some of their classmates caught them holding hands, and kissing at their table outside.  By the time the older teens had arrived, Chenle was comforting a crying Jisung as coffee and hot chocolate soaked both of them. Jaemin, being the softie he is, was unable to ignore the sight and hurried over to help the younger boys. The other’s quickly followed, Jeno and Renjun aiding their friend by wiping down the soaked kids with whatever napkins they could scavenge from the table as Jaemin consoled the sobbing youth, asking them for their names and what happened. Meanwhile, Hyuck stood around and observed the area, seeing if he could spot any suspicious figures or anything that would help piece together what happened to the two boys. The group of four collectively listened to Chenle as he recounted what had happened to them, fury sparking in Hyuck’s eyes when he realized what had happened to these youths. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Disgusting.” He growled, his fist tightly clenching together as the overpowering desire to kill flew through his veins. Jeno quickly passed the napkins he was using to clean the boys up to Jaemin so he could rush over to calm Hyuck down before he blew up.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should bring them back to the hideout. I don’t want to send them home like this.” Jaemin stated softly, his voice filled with pity and worry. Renjun agreed with him there, and Jeno nodded in approval as well. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t leave before we get payback on those scumbags.” Haechan growled, his hostile tone sending shivers down all the boys spines. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyuckie…” Jeno began, ready to comfort the raging hot sun, but it was almost as if Hyuck spoke it into existence that a group of boys who appeared to be the same age as Chenle and Jisung stepped outside of the cafe, laughing loudly about the chaos they caused before entering. The sight only pissed Haechan off more. He hated how happy they were after doing something so despicable, and he was determined to give them a taste of their own medicine. He broke contact with Jeno instantaneously, barreling towards the three youths before Jeno or any other of the boys could even try to stop him. Then, in the next second, Hyuck was grabbing one of the boy’s by his shirt collar and violently throwing him forwards into a punch before tossing him back onto the floor. He glared towards the other two boys, taking pride in the fear in their eyes as they stared back at him. It was as if they were prey knowing they were about to lose the chase to their predator, but before he could throw anymore punches, a set of muscular arms were holding him back. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeno, let go! I’m not finished with them yet!” Hyuck spat, squirming in the other’s grip as he tried to break free, but Jeno’s hold on him was strong and the little devil wasn’t breaking out anytime soon. Jaemin and Renjun caught up to them, the pink haired boy not hesitating to kick up some dust and rocks at the fallen boy’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This is only a taste of what we’ll do to you if you get on our bad side. Keep fucking with these two and you’ll learn what happens when you really piss us off.” Renjun hissed, glowering down at the scared rats as they scurried away. The four teens turned their attention back to the two boys they had just saved from the ruthless bullies, unsure of what to do now. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, we are all okay with bringing them to the hideout right?” Jaemin questioned, interrupting any thoughts the others could be having. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s really up to them if they want to come with us or not.” Renjun answered, scratching his ear awkwardly at the suggestion. Before anyone else could speak Chenle, who was the loudest out of the two, spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean it’s up to us? Is it even a question to ask? Of course we are going with you! You saved us from those assholes, how can we not want to stick with you? You’ll clearly keep us safe.” He exclaimed, shaking Jisung as if to convince him to speak up too. He jolted up in shock from the gesture, rubbing his tired out eyes from crying as he focused on the four older males in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we owe you for helping us so please let us come with you.” He added, earning himself an approving nod from his best friend Chenle. The four teens had zero issues with this, their response to group around the two boys and embrace them as they walked off towards the direction of their hideout. Jaemin didn’t hesitate to hound the two with questions along the way, fascinated to know every little juicy detail he could about the boys and their relationship with each other. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was how Chenle and Jisung found them in the situation they were in now, awkwardly holding hands as they watched their older friends angstily stand around. They knew there was nothing they could do to ease their nerves or break this tension. They could only wait for the hellstorm that was approaching to arrive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, it happened. A voice called out from beneath them, and before anyone could react Chenle and Jisung hopped to the entrance of the treehouse to look down at the intruder trying to enter their domain. They figured it’d be best if they saw Mark first, so the others had more time to mentally prepare themselves for the encounter. Who they saw, was a boy in a beanie and sweatshirt, just your average looking dude, and they were shocked by this. This was Mark? The guy their confident, fearless friends were so scared of? They imagined the dude to be a little more intimidating, but this guy looked like he could be swept away from the wind at any given second. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhm… Hi, you’re new.” The stranger mumbled, shifting clumsily on his feet as he broke eye contact with the two youths. “Are the others around? I mean…” The boy seemed to be  fumbling over his words, struggling to say the thoughts rushing through his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they’re up here. Sorry, we should introduce ourselves.” Jisung answered for him, feeling bad for the guy who was struggling so much. “I’m Jisung, and this is my friend Chenle.” He continued, making sure he stayed in control of the conversation because he knew if he let Chenle get any words in he’d probably talk shit to the other, and he wasn’t trying to have things go badly from the get go. Despite his efforts, Chenle was still able to fit a sentence in for the other. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really tense up here, so can you hurry up? I think everyone would like this to be over with.” Chenle sighed, pulling away from the treehouse opening because he had enough of this Mark guy already. He really only wanted to know what he looked like, and now that he’s seen him he was ready for him to go away. He didn’t need to be here anymore, especially if he was only going to cause trouble for his friends. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mark didn’t seem to catch that memo however, flimsily gripping onto the ladder as he made his way up. “Yeah, I’m coming.” He answered, his voice trembling and not hiding the anxiety that was overwhelming him at all. His body was being lifted up, but his heart was sinking more and more the closer he got to the treehouse’s entrance. As the bitter smell of pine and leaves came over him, he recalled the memories he and the younger boys shared in this spot when they were younger. Memories such as them roughhousing when they wanted to play Cops and Robbers, and it usually ended with Donghyuck or Jaemin wanting to be a princess to be fought over. Times when things were better between them. As terrified as he was of seeing the boys again, he couldn’t deny he was a little excited too. He was anticipating seeing their growth, how much they’ve changed over the five years because he knew how fast kids grew. He laughed at himself a bit for the thought, knowing very well that he wasn’t that much older than the boys and probably didn’t look like he aged at all, so it was probably a similar case for them, but he wanted to believe that maybe they were looking a little different. Older and more mature at the very least. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was because he had their youthful appearances in mind as he entered, but once he was inside the tree haven, his mouth fell agape as his eyes fell upon the four teens he had left all those years ago. Just as he expected, they looked much older and more mature than when he left. The sight was enough to make him emotional, but he didn’t have time to mope in the feelings because upon arrival Jaemin was the first to click his tongue and move away. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m sorry, I just… I need a moment.” He choked out when Jeno was hurrying over to console him, not hesitating to caress his body into his and hug him tightly. Renjun continued to linger at Hyuck's side, his fingers now twining through the male's hair as he anticipated the boys awakening. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad you could make it." He mumbled under a breath, struggling to bring himself to look up at the boy that caused him and his friends this pain of loss. "Please, make sure he's okay." Were his final words to Mark before he turned his attention back to Donghyuck completely. Mark gulped, the tension was much worse than what he was preparing himself for as he climbed up the rickety ladder to what was supposed to be their safe haven. He wasn't even sure what to say, if he even had the right to say anything. He knew how much pain he's caused these boys, but they weren't the only ones suffering. He suffered through those five years too, and if there was any wish he could have granted for himself. It would be the teens understanding his side of the story, and why he chose medical school over them. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I wouldn't have come if that wasn't my plan." He answered, fumbling his way over to the resting Donghyuck so he could analyze his body for any injuries that Jaemin may have missed. He was frozen for a moment as he stood over the boy, mesmerized by how beautiful the sunflower had become over the years. He had trouble comprehending it honestly, he always believed Donghyuck was drop dead gorgeous, but now he was simply ethereal.Then he took in how sunken Hyuck’s face was. The slight bruising on his face along his cheekbones and eyes, it took away from his beauty and revealed how distorted he’s become over the years. He was hesitant to touch him, knowing very well how upset the boy will be when he finds out Mark was here, and even touched him as he slept. It'd be even worse if he woke up in the midst of his checkup, and Mark was praying to his god that wouldn't happen. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The room remained silent aside from the occasional noises Mark made as he maneuvered Hyuck around, impressed by how well Jaemin treated the boy. "Nana, you really did all this?" He asked, looking up to Jaemin physically cringing upon hearing his beloved nickname leave the roaches mouth as if he still had the right to say it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Jaemin, not Nana." He corrected sharply, his intense gaze making Mark look down in shame. He was embarrassed, he should've known the other wouldn't take kindly to him using the nickname. It was a name Jaemin only liked his loved ones to refer to him as, and Mark was far gone from being a loved one. "But yes, I did do that. You're not the only here who can pick up on first aid tricks." Jaemin grumbled out, maybe even snickering a bit at the ruthless jab at the other, and for once. There was some laughter in the room between the boys. It wasn't a lot, but it was something. Something to show that the strong connection the boys had to each other wasn't entirely severed. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A little more comfortable now, Mark examined Hyuck's slinged arm, gently feeling it around to make sure nothing was swollen or sprained. "It looks like the only real damage here was his shoulder, but you took care of it pretty well Jaemin. I think it'll be okay, but if the pain doesn't ease up at all within the next few days or the swelling gets worse, I'd take him to the doctor.” The eldest boy explained, all whilst pulling away from what used to be the sun he orbited around. The three teens remained silent, but nodded that they understood Mark’s instruction. Awkward air filled the room as the boys fumbled around, trying to figure out what to say or do now. At this point, Mark figured it would be best for him to leave, but he didn’t want to leave before expressing one thing. He knew this would probably be his only chance to say anything to the three boys in regards to their past. “You know, you’ve all changed so much. In just five years too. I never realized how much someone could change in such a short time frame until now.” He laughed, trying to ease his nerves with a smile and cheer. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The other boys did not find the statement as gleeful, Jaemin practically snapping at the words. “Why do you care so much? It’s not like you’re going to be seeing us again anyway. I’m surprised you even bothered showing up this time, don’t you have school work to be focusing on?” He hissed, attempting to break away from Jeno so he could approach Mark for a fight, but the bigger blonde was quick to tighten his grip on Jaemin. Their ruthless group have gotten into enough fights for the day, it was time for them to wind down. Mark was taken aback by Jaemin’s sudden hostility, nearly falling back on his ass as the other attempted to lunge at him. He quickly scrambled back to his feet, rambling out broken apologies as he rushed to leave the treehouse. He shouldn’t have come here, it was stupid of him to come. He should’ve known he wouldn’t be welcomed. He should’ve known this wouldn’t be the opportunity for him to patch things up. There was nothing to patch up, their friendship was too far gone for that, but he also couldn’t just ignore Renjun’s broken voice when he called him over the phone to tell him Donghyuck was seriously hurt and he was scared. That he didn’t know what to do, and he was unsure if the others knew what to do either. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They needed Mark, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and he couldn’t bring himself to just abandon them, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not again.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nonetheless, Mark’s job was done here. He was called here to check up on Hyuck to make sure he wasn’t dying, and he has confirmed he wasn’t going to die and was going to heal just fine so it was time for him to leave. It was clear the boys didn’t want him here anymore, so when he was back on his feet he made his way to the entrance hatch of the treehouse. He unhooked the latch to open it, a loud click resulting from it and the noise was enough to stir Donghyuck awake. The dim boy slowly opening his eyes to the blurry yet familiar figure attempting to unhinge the latches to their home. Renjun wanted to attempt to cover his eyes before he could fully register who it was trying to leave, but something in him told him not to. That this was necessary, that Hyuck needed to see Mark one last time for closure. He was the one who was affected the most afterall, that dreadful day when Mark announced he’d be moving away to attend a medical focused school, and that he probably wouldn’t be seeing the boys anymore. At least not for a while, or as often. Donghyuck took that as a betrayal, that Mark was leaving them, abandoning them. He felt that in time, Mark was going to forget about them completely due to his new life in the city and his new school. Mark assured him that wouldn’t happen, and maybe at the time he truly believed it wouldn’t happen but future events proved otherwise. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Within the first five months after his initial move, Mark was quick to lose contact with pretty much everyone in his old town, including Donghyuck and the rest of the gang. It wasn’t intentional, the socially awkward boy just struggled to maintain contact with people if he didn’t see them everyday. Especially since he was hyperfocused on his studies as a med student. He was striving to be the best to secure his future in the medical field, so could he really be blamed for lacking in the social aspect? Apparently so because Donghyuck and the other’s grew to resent him and hold a grudge against him for completely abandoning them. They all put the effort in to talk to Mark, but he was the one who never responded and after enduring the poor treatment for five months they decided they had enough and dropped the boy completely. Even if he was the one who pulled them through everything and supported them whenever they needed a shoulder to lean on. They left that all behind because they couldn’t handle seeing posts of Mark enjoying himself with other people. They spent the night together in the treehouse that held their memories together, huddled closely together as they wiped each other's tears into the night. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now they are here, five years into the future and Donghyuck has awakened to find the number one source of his emotional scars struggling to open a hatch to leave the premises. At first, he felt nothing. He was just confused on what he was doing here, but it was when Mark released an awkward chuckle that rage engulfed him. All the pent up feelings he had been keeping inside rushed out of him at once as his once worn out feet sprung to life, pushing him forwards to stand face to face to the cause of his anguish these past five, long years. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Funny to see you here, Mark. What brought you here? Were you interested in using me as a guinea pig to test out your medical knowledge? Looking to use me to improve your grades?” He scoffed, scowling at his own sick joke as he continued to force his way over to Mark who was looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He tried to speak up to reassure Hyuck that wasn’t the case, but the boiling teen was far too gone to calm down and listen to what he was saying. “Shut the fuck up Mark! I’m talking, and you’re going to listen!” He growled, making Mark shut up instantly.  It made Hyuck feel good, to see the boy who caused him so much pain to fear him and obey his commands. Even the other boys in the room were silent, paralyzed in fear as what was usually their charming, bubbly sunflower burned into a raging flame. Renjun looked over at Jeno to see if he was going to do anything, but the blonde only shook his head, making it clear that he wasn’t going to do anything unless things turned violent. Although Renjun didn’t like the idea of it, he considered that it possibly was for the best that Donghyuck got his repressed rage towards Mark out finally. That maybe it would benefit him in some sick way. He saw how Chenle and Jisung were cowered into their corner of the treehouse, both stricken with fear and worry as they watched these events unfold and that's when guilt settled in for him. These two really had no part in this, but they were stuck having to witness it anyway. At the very least, maybe the older teens could make it up to them once it was all over. Treat them to ice cream or something, and answer any questions they might have about Mark and their group’s history together. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck stopped once he reached Mark’s kneeling body, scowling down at him as he continued his rampage. “I thought you didn’t care about us anymore? You had no problem ignoring us for five fucking years, so why show up now? Is it to mock us? To show that we can’t survive without you? Well you’re fucking wrong Mark. We would’ve been just fine if you hadn’t shown up. I would’ve been fine if you didn’t come, so hurry up and tell me before I throw you down the treehouse ladder.” He threatened, causing Mark to grimace at the assumptions. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyuck, no. That’s not it at all-” Mark tried to speak up for himself, but Hyuck continued to cut him off causing them to go back and forth a bit before Mark finally snapped. “God Donghyuck, can you please just listen!” He yelled, his voice echoing off the treehouse walls as he spoke his frustrations with the teen. “You’re making baseless assumptions. I didn’t come here to make you guys feel worse. I came because Renjun called me on the verge of tears, asking me to come make sure you were okay. That’s all it fucking was okay? I’m sorry for wanting to help someone in need. I didn’t realize it was a crime to be a good person.” He continued,returning Donghyuck’s cold stare.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you shouldn’t have bothered coming then. As you can see we are doing just fine so you can fuck off Mark. Run back home to your preppy well-off  school you love so much.” Hyuck snorted in response, rolling his shoulders as he turned away from Mark to return to the people who truly mattered in his life. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You say that, but are you really doing fine? Look at you Hyuck, your arm is in a sling. I can see the bruises covering yours and everyone else's bodies. I mean, have you seen Jeno’s knuckles? Just how bad did he abuse them to cause that much discoloration? What about this is fine to you?” Mark persisted, finally unveiling the stress he was trying to keep hidden from the boys. Mostly because he didn’t want to cause a scene or add fuel to the fire that was already burning so strongly, but he was being pushed beyond his limits and couldn’t keep it bottled up anymore. Mark slumped himself back into one of the treehouse’s walls, doing his best to hold in his sobs as his mental state finally broke. “It feels like only yesterday I was watching you guys play cops and robbers together. I even remember you and Jaemin pretending to be damsels in distress, and making Jeno and Renjun save you. You always had so much fun fighting to see who would be victorious, and if I had known that that innocent, play fighting would turn into this. I would’ve put an end to it then.” He reminiscenced, tightly gripping onto his arm as he tried to compose himself and his emotions that were starting to run haywire. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What isn’t fine is you rubbing your nose in our business. You’ve been absent from our lives for five years Mark, you don’t have the right to lecture us on what we do.” Hyuck barked back, reaching the point in his rage where he too was starting to become a teary wreck. Mark bit his tongue, left speechless from the teen’s foul but truthful words. He was absent from their lives for the past five years, but he shouldn’t be blamed for it. It isn’t his fault he figured out what he wanted to do with his life faster than they did, and then left to pursue it. It was his right, so why weren’t they understanding that? Why was it so difficult for them to understand? They were so set on villainizing Mark, and he just couldn’t understand why.  Now they were getting into pointless fights and other minor crimes it was like Mark couldn’t recognize them anymore. They were completely different people. Is this what the teen years does to people? </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you hear yourself Hyuck? You’re being so hostile towards me, and for what reason? Because I discovered what I want to do with my life at a young age and left to pursue it. That makes me a criminal in your eyes? At least I’m not getting into stupid fights with strangers or marking up public property with dumb slogans. All for what, attention?” Mark retorted, popping a vein in Hyuck or something of the likes because the impulsive teen was slamming his fist down on the nearest piece of furniture in anger. </span>
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  <span>“You’re literally insulting us, how do I not have a reason to be ‘hostile’ towards you.” Donghyuck answered, doing the air quotes with his fingers. The teen was acting like a toddler throwing  a tantrum, and none of the dreamies or Mark for that matter knew how to handle it. The dreamies were just waiting for the storm to pass, but Mark on the other hand, just wanted his beloved Hyuckie back. He wanted the Donghyuck who would go on late night adventures with him, or wake up early in the morning to watch the sunrise as they talked about random, irrelevant things, and the convos would last for hours. He missed the days where the Dreamies achievements were finishing a book, getting first place in a school competition, or any other innocent small task they felt was worth sharing with the elder, but now he was stuck seeing them in news headlines. Headlines that would share the small crimes they’ve done and photos of them with their prideful smiles to pair with it. The sight absolutely sickened Mark everytime he would come across these news clippings, and he did everything he could to avoid it. Anytime he heard his classmates talking about the “problematic teens just a town away” he would shut down and block them out. He just couldn’t handle the reality of what happened to his sweet, kind-hearted friends. </span>
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  <span>“You didn’t just leave us to pursue your dream either Mark, you literally ghosted us after the first month of you moving, so sorry if I’m a little pissy about you showing your face here now.” Hyuck sneered through gritted teeth, his frustrations with the other growing more and more unbearable the longer he talked to him. He felt like he was talking to a wall, and just wanted the argument to be over already or for Mark to crack at the very least. All he wanted was to hear Mark apologize for ghosting them for so long, for literally leaving them behind without batting an eye. He knew that was too much to ask though. He knew Mark would never let up, he would keep pushing his opinion that he did nothing wrong until the day he died, and that was the reason their friendship would never be the same. They’d never see eye to eye because neither of them can let up on their side, and open up to the other’s feelings. It was the harsh reality. </span>
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  <span> “Listen, Mark…” Hyuck groaned out, trying to calm himself down. His hand moving up to rub his temple as a headache was beginning to form. “Maybe it’s best if you just leave, I appreciate you coming here, but I already told you we didn’t nor currently need you. You can just fuck off, okay? Keep you and your selfish opinions away from us, got it? We don’t have time for it anymore. Go back home to your preppy fake ass friends since they’re so much better than us. I’m sure you’ll have a much more enjoyable time talking to them than us, considering you left us for them for five years.” He finished, leaving these as his final words to the traitor before turning back to the pile of blankets he was resting on earlier. Renjun who was waiting for him, happily tucked him back into the blankets when he laid down, not hesitating to pet his hand through the now crying brunette’s hair.  Mark was going to say something else, but stopped when Jeno and Jaemin moved to stand in front of Donghyuck and block him from the older teen’s sight.</span>
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  <span>“I think it’s time for you to leave Mark. We are very thankful to have you come out here and double check on Hyuck, but he’s made it clear he is okay so we don’t need your assistance anymore.” Jeno explained, stepping forwards to place his hand on Mark’s shoulder to guide him away from the others and to the treehouse entrance. Mark was silent the entire time, too many feelings and thoughts overwhelming him to even try to say anything to the teens. He glanced back at Donghyuck one last time before exiting, knowing very well that this would be the last time he saw the delicate flower’s face. It was painful, his heart ached as if it was being stabbed repeatedly, but he pushed through it. He told himself he wouldn’t show any tears until he was far gone from this place. He wanted to keep his strong appearance to the boys after all, not that it really mattered. From how it appeared now, the boys no longer needed a strong pillar to rely on. They were becoming their own pillars, and although it made Mark proud. He couldn’t help but fear for their futures. He dreaded how the news articles were going to escalate, and questioned how his and their definitions of glory turned out to be so different. These thoughts followed him as he climbed down the treehouse ladder, and continued to linger his entire journey home. There was no escaping them, and he knew he was going to be stuck suffering with them for a very long time. </span>
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  <span>He was stuck suffering with them just as the dreamies were trapped enduring the loss of Mark. A friend who they had depended on and looked up to during the days of their youth. A friend they thought they would never lose, and always have him to come back to whenever they strayed off too far. A friend who could’ve stopped them when Hyuck’s views of glory became distorted, and he resorted to winning random street fights for the gratification and attention that came with it rather than the pride that came with any scholarly achievements. A life he chose to abandon when Mark left him for that path, only to drag the others down with him in due time since he was the new pack leader with Mark’s absence. </span>
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  <span> Now they were huddled here together in the treehouse that was their origin and held all their memories together. The good times and the bad, it was all kept here in their safe haven that they have opened up to the two youth’s Chenle and Jisung. Two young boys they never planned to leave behind like Mark did to them, it was a promise they all made back when they first brought the boys here.  Together this new family sat together, comforting their crying sunflower as he relived the pain he repressed all those years ago. </span>
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